Railway hopper car outlet



July 29, 1941. J. J. MCBRIDE ETAL RAILWAY HOPPER CAR OUTLET Filed April18, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l MT w/ /m i/.II l

W l0 N f olm c A Lf. /244' ATTORNEY July 29, 1941. J. J. MOBRIDE s1-Al.

RAILWAY HOPPER CAR OUTLET 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, l 1959 July29, 1941. J. J. MCBRIDE ETA.

RAILWAY HOPPER CAR OUTLET Filed April 18, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 XN www..

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Patented July 29, 1941 srTs ATENT OFFICE RAILWAY HQPPER. CAR OUTLETApplication April is, 193e, serial No. 268,560 1o anims. (ci. 10s- 247)This invention relates to hopper outlets in general and in particular tosuch outlets for use on railway hopper cars for the transportation oifine ladings which must be kept dry.

In the past, hopper outlets for cars intended to carry ne ladings thatmust be kept dry have been of the sliding type operating in sealinggrooves but with outlets of this type considerable trouble has beenexperienced due to the fact that the sliding gates are hard to operateand extremely hard to close due to the lodgment of lading in the slidesor grooves. It has also been almost impossible to prevent the entranceof moisture since the extended portions of the slides form a ledge uponwhich snow and ice may collect gradually seeping into the lading duringmeltage. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to providea railway hopper car with a new and improved outlet casting which isabsolutely Waterproof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedoutlet casting for railway hopp-er cars having swinging doorssubstantially encased at all times in the outlet casting.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved outlet casting for railway hopper cars equipped for theattachment of a discharge chute and with swinging doors operable afterthe attachment of the chute.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved outlet casting for railway hopper cars together with a new andimproved door operating and locking arrangement carried within thecasting.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to personsskilled in the art from a study of the following description andaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevational View ofone of the improved hoppers with parts broken away and in section tomore clearly disclose the construction;

Fig. 2 is an outside elevational view of the hopper shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan View of the hopper with a portion thereofbroken away to better disclose the construction;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 2,and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theimproved door arrangement and outlet casting has been applied to ahopper out let forming part of a car such as shown in Pat ent 2,024,342.The hopper is formed by an inner sheet 2, side slope sheets 4 and anouter slope sheet the latter reinforced by an angle 8. Such hopperconstruction is merely representative for it is obvious that other typesof hoppers and hop-- per sheet arrangements Vmaybe used withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention.

The hopper outlet casting in the present instance is generally boXshaped and consists of an inner end l0, outer end I2 and side walls I4,all of which merge into an upper topy wall I6. This upper or top wall isformed with an opening I8 substantially of the same size as the hopperdischarge outlet and the edges of this opening are reinforced byupstanding flanges 20 formed to conform to the hopper sheets to whichthey are attached. The lower edges of the end and side walls of thecasting merge into outwardly directed ilanges 22 pierced as at 24 forreception of bolts or other securing means 26. The bolts or securingmeans as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 andl6 are adapted to retain anangular form frame 28 by means of which a safety plate 30 may be clampedagainst a sealing gasket 32, thus effectively sealing the box-likecasting and forming in effect a removable bottom. The sides of the angleframe 28 preferably have secured thereto clips 34 adapted to slide alongthe side anges 22 in order to retain the safety plate or removablebottom in position while the bolts 26 are being placed or removed. Thebox-like outlet casting is also formed with roughly triangularly shapedflanges 36 projecting into the box and located substantially inalignment with the inner and outer edges of the hopper outlet and inspaced relation to the inner and outer end Walls of the casting. Thelower edgesv of these triangularly shaped flanges are adapted to receiverubber gaskets 38 projecting below the edges of the flanges and held inplace by metal strips 4i). These strips and gaskets also extend alongthe sides of the opening adjacent the lower edges of the side attachinganges 20, thus in effect a resilient rubber gasket is provided entirelyaround the discharge outlet.

The inner and outer end walls Il! and l2 of the casting are formed withbosses 42 located beneath the upper wall of the casting and to one sideof the outlet opening. These bosses are drilled or cored to receivehinge rods 44 adapted to extend through the eyes 46 formed on the edgesof the swinging doors 48. As shown, the hinge rods 4d are held inposition and sealed against the entrance of water by being welded inplace as at W. Attention is directed to the fact that the hinge rods areso positioned and the doors so designed as to permit the doors to hangsubstantially vertically when in the open position (see Fig. 3) Thelower outer corners of the end wall l are formed with bosses 5Uproviding pockets opening into the box-like casting and adapted toreceive inner end 52 of door operating and locking rod. Each dooroperating and locking rod is formed with an offset door engaging portionf: joined to the inner end 52 and to the outer end 56 by angularportions 58. The inner end of each door operating and locking rod l hasa collar 5S shrunk thereon and adapted to be overlapped by a bracket 60riveted to the inner end wall of the casting, thus securely holding thedoor locking and operating rod in position lwithout any possibility ofentrance of moisture. The outer end 56 of each door operating andlocking rod extends through a boss 6| formed on the youter end wall andthis boss is threaded as at 62 (Fig. 6) to receive a packing nut 63 bymeans of which packing 64% may be compressed to seal the outer wallagainst entrance of any moisture to the interior of the casting. Thepacking engages against the casting and against ashoulder 65 `formed onan operating arm 66 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft end 56. Theoiset portion of each door operating and lockingrod is adapted tocontact and ride along cams 68 preferably cast as reinforcing ridges onthe lower surface of each door 48. As clearly 5,.

shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each of these cams has the portion nearest thedoor hinge formed relatively iiat, while the portion remote from thedoor hinge or adjacent the free edge of the door is formed at arelatively sharp curvature in order that, the doors may be morepositively lifted to their final position and in order that theV lockingrod can not be moved out of engagement with the door as it moves towardlocking position.

The outer end wall is formed intermediate its substantially adjacentcenter line with a boss 70 adapted to receive a bolt or other means l2upon which the lower portion of an operating lever 14 may be pivoted.This lever carries spaced pins 'I6 located an equal distance on eitherside of the pivot bolt 'i2 and these pins are connected by means ofstraps or other connecting links 18 to pins 8G carried by the operatingarms 66 previously referred to. The upper or free end of the operatinglever is formed with a handle portion 82 by means of which the lever maybe swung to either open or close and lock the doors. Final locking andsealing of the doors is accomplished by engaging the operating leverbetween spaced plates 84 carried on the reinforcing angle 8 and thesevplates are provided with a plurality of holes 85 adapted to receivesealing pin 86. It should be noted that the openings 85 are staggeredand so positioned as to give an extremely fine adjustmentas to thepositioning of the operating lever. In this way the lever may be used tocompensate for wear on the door parts and always lock the doors in fullyclosed position.

Assuming the doors to be in the locked position shown in Figs. 1 and2,7the operation of the device is as follows: Removal of the sealing pinwill permit the operating handle to be moved in a-counter-clockwisedirection causing the connectingVV` links 'I8A to impart a thrust to thearms 66. The thrust imparted to these arms will cause the door operatingand locking rods to rotate iii opposite directions, that is, one willrotate clock# wise, while the other rotates counter-clockwise but theirrotation -is simultaneous and as they rotate the offsets 54 will ridealong the cams 68 permitting the doors to open under the weight of thelading. In fact, once the opening movement of the doors has beeninstituted the weight of the lading will force the doors to the fullyopen position as shown in Fig. 3 in which they line up substantiallywith the openings in the upper wall of the casting. If the materialcarried by the hopper is of an extremely powdery nature or must be keptabsolutely dry, a boot or discharge chute is attached to the flanges 22after the safety sealing plate 30 has been removed.y After attachment ofthe boot the doors may be operated as previously discharging thematerial fromv the car without any possibility of the' lading becomingwet or being wasted by blowing away.

It should be noted that the hinge rodand door' operating rods areeffectively sealed against entrance of moisture or exit of lading andthat leakage of ladingfrom the hopper past the doorsI is eiectivelypreventedA by the gaskets which may be heavily compressed by theoperating lever since a very powerful leverage exists between theloperating handle and the cams 68 to force the: doors into closedposition. The use of the safety plate 36 prevents any moisture or dirtfrom entering into the box-like casting, thus insuring' not only drylading but that the lading may bedischarged in a pure condition which isabsolutely necessary in case sugar or certain chemicals arev beingltransported.

Whilethe invention has been described more: or less in detail, it isobvious that various modiiications and rearrangements of parts maybemade by persons skilled in the art and all such modifications andrearrangements of parts are. contemplated as will fall within the scopeof the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. Inv a railway hopper car the combination of.' a hopper formed in partby metallic sheets con-- verging Vto provide a hopper discharge opening,a. frame secured to the sheets adjacent the saidy opening, said framebeing formed with a topf portion having an opening therein registeringwithsaid hopper discharge opening and also: formed with relatively deepdownwardly directedf side and end walls spaced laterally outward fromthe edges of said opening, and doors for closing.

said opening, saidY doors being hinged to certain of said walls adjacentthe top portion of the' frame, said hinges being spaced laterally out--ward from the edges of the opening whereby the doors will besubstantially inclosed at all times by said walls and will not restrictiiow of lading; through thephopper discharge opening.

2. In a railway hopper car the combination of` a hopper formed in partby metallic sheets con-V verging to provide a hopper discharge opening,a', sheets adjacent the saidf` opening, said frame being formed with atop por-- frame secured to the tion having an opening thereinregistering with said hopper discharge opening and also formed withrelatively deep downwardly directedr side. and end walls terminating inoutwardlydirected' ilanges, said side and end walls being spacedlaterally outward from the edges of said hopper discharge opening, doorshinged to certain of said walls adjacent said top portion whereby thedoors will be substantially inclosed 'at al1 times by said' walls, saidhinges being spaced laterally outward from the edges of the openingwhereby said doors when open will occupy the space between the sidewalls and adjacent edges of the hopper discharge opening thereby givingan unrestricted now of lading through the hopper discharge opening,safety cover secured to said flanges and preventing entrance of foreignmatter into said frame. v.

3. In a railway hopper car having a hopper discharge opening formedinpart by converging metallic hopper sheets, the combination of an outletframe formed with a top portion having an opening therein registeringwith said hopper discharge opening, means securing said top portion tothe metallic hopper sheets, frame side and end walls depending from saidtop portion in laterally outwardly spaced relationship to the edges ofsaid hopper discharge opening, doors hinged on certain of said walls byhinge rods located adjacent said top portion, said doors having theirfree edges meeting adjacent the center of the frame, door operating rodspivotally carried by certain of said walls adjacent the lower edgesthereof and laterally outward of the edges of the hopper dischargeopening, said operating rods having a portion thereof extending throughthe frame, and operating means secured to said rod extensions exteriorof the frame, said hinge rods and operating rods being sealed withrespect to the frame thereby preventing entrance of foreign matter intothe frame through the side walls thereof.

4. In a railway hopper car having a hopper discharge opening, formed inpart by converging metallic hopper sheets, the combination of an outletframe formed with a top portion having an opening therein registeringwith said hopper discharge opening, means securing said top portion tothe metallic hopper sheets, frame side and end walls depending from saidtop portion in laterally outwardly spaced relationship to the edges ofsaid hopper discharge opening, doors hinged on said end walls by hingerods spaced laterally outward from the edges of the opening andextending through the end walls adjacent said top portion at each sideof said opening, said doors swinging when open into the space betweenthe side walls of the frame and the adjacent edges of the hopperdischarge opening, door operating rods pivotally carried by said endwalls adjacent the lower edges thereof and adjacent the side walls, saidoperating rods having a portion thereof extending through at least oneof said end walls, and operating means secured to said rod extensionsexterior of the frame, said hinge rods and operating rods being sealedwith respect to the frame thereby preventing entrance of foreign matterinto the frame through the side walls thereof.

In a railway hopper car having a hopper discharge opening formed in partby converging metallic hopper sheets, the combination of an outlet frameformed with a top portion having an opening therein registering withsaid hopper discharge opening, means securing said top portion to themetallic hopper sheets, frame side and end walls depending from said topportion and terminating in outwardly directed flanges, said side and endwalls being spaced laterally outward from the edges of said opening, asafety sealing plate removably carried by said flanges, doors hinged oncertain of said walls by hinge rods spaced laterally outward fromtheedges of said opening and located adjacent said top portion andswingable when open into the space between the'adjacent frame wall anddischarge opening, door `operating-rods pivotally carried by certain ofsaid walls adjacent the lower edges thereof and at either side of thedischarge opening, said operating rods having extensions thereofprojecting through the frame, and operating means secured to said rodextensions exterior of the frame, said hinge rods and operating rodsbeing sealed with respect to the frame thereby cooperating with saidsafety sealing plate in preventing entrance of foreign matter into theframe.

6. Ina railway hopper car having a hopper discharge opening-formed inpart by converging metallic vhopper sheets, the combination of an outletframe formed with a top portion having an opening therein registeringwith said hopper discharge opening, means securing said top portion tothe metallic' hopper sheets, frame side and end wallsdepending from saidtop portion in laterally outwardly spaced relationship to the edges ofsaid hopper discharge opening, doors hinged on said end walls by hingerods extending through the end walls and located adjacent said toplportion at each side of said opening, door operating rods pivotallycarried by said end walls adjacent the lower edges thereof and adjacentthe side walls, said operating rods having a portion thereof offset andadapted to cam said doors to a closed position, operating means securedto said door operating rods exteriorly of the frame, and locking meansengageable with said operating means to secure the doors in closedposition.

7. In a railway hopper car having a substantially horizontal hopperdischarge opening formed in part by converging metallic hopper sheets,the combination of an outlet frame comprising a substantially horizontaltop portion formed with an opening therein registering with said hopperdischarge opening, said top portion extending laterally of said opening,substantially vertically extending frame side and end walls spacedoutwardly of vertical planes through the edges of' said opening andbeing connected to said top por-- tion, doors hinged to certain of saidwalls adja-V cent the top portion of the frame and having: their freeedges meeting adjacent a center line of the frame to close the dischargeopening, said hinges being spaced laterally outward from theedges of theopening, said doors when open being retained in substantially verticalposition by said frame side walls and being located outwardly of thevertical planes through the sides of the discharge opening.

8. In a railway hopper car having a substantially horizontal hopperdischarge opening formed in part by converging metallic hopper sheets,the combination of an outlet frame comprising a substantially horizontaltop portion formed with an opening therein registering with said hopperdischarge opening, said top portion extending laterally of said opening,substantially vertically extending frame side end walls spaced outwardlyof vertical planes through the edges of said opening and being connectedto said top portion, doors hinged to certain of said walls adjacent thetop portion of the frame and having their free edges meeting adjacent acenter line of the frame to close the discharge opening, said hingesbeing spaced laterally outward from the edges of the opening, said doorswhen open being retained in substantially vertical position by saidframe side walls and being located outwardly of the vertical planesthrough the sides of the discharge opening, and said frame side and endwalls extending downwardly beyond the free 4S' atteste edges of saidopen doors whereby saidy doors are" wholly inclosed at all times within:the frame.

9. In a railway hopper car having a substantially horizontal hopperformed in part by converging metallic hopper sheets, the combination ofan outlet frame cbmprising a lsubstantially horizontal top portionformed with an opening therein registering withsaid hopper dischargeopening, said top portion extending laterally of said opening;substantially vertically extending frame side and end walls spacedoutwardly of vertical planes through the edges of said opening and beingconnected to said top portion, doors hinged to certain of said wallsadjacent the top portion of the frame and having their free edgesmeeting adjacent-l a center line of the frame to close the dischargeopening, said hinges being spaced laterally outward from the edges ofthe opening, said doors when `open being retained in substantiallyVertical p0- sition by said frame side walls and being located outwardlyof the vertical planes through the sides of the discharge opening, andsaid frame side and end walls extending downwardly beyond the free edgesof said open doors whereby said doorsV are discharge opening whollyinclosed atVv all times within theL frame; andsealing'means carried bysaid frame side and end? walls adjacent the lower edges thereof therebywholly closing the frame against entranceAof'fereign matter from below;

10; In a railway hopper car having a substantiallyhorizontal hopperdischarge opening formed in part by convergingmetallic hopper sheets,the combination of an outlet frame secured to said hopper sheets andcomprising, side and end walls spaced laterally outward of Verticalplanes' throughv the edges of said discharge openingi a-

